tpenta

As a new 911 driver, my opinion probably doesn't mean much. But I did try out the Carrera, Carrera S, and the Cayman S before settling on the C2S.

I must say I drove the Cayman S last and I honestly had a smile on my face. That thing is like a go-cart. However, there are several things I didn't like about it:

. felt underpowered but that just might be my inexperience driving it.
. felt cheap -- inside material was nothing inspiring. Might just have been the options on the one I tried. On the other hand, my 911S has leather all over, including the alcantara roof and I honestly enjoy just it!
. I like the rear seats for my 7-year-old. If I got the Cayman, I would definitely need to keep the BMW around. However, with the 911, I am not sure I need the second car yet. Who knows. After a couple of trips to Home Depot I might change my mind!
. I just can't get over the shape of the thing. I grew up with posters of old 911's on my walls and I still consider the 911 shape to be a true work of art. Looks are obviously very subjective but I find the 993 and the 997 just beautiful. On the other hand, even if the Cayman S somehow had rear seats, was all full of high-end leather, had 400 HP, I would still not enjoy it as much. For me, looks are actually a very big part of the picture. The butt on the Cayman just looks completely wrong! Having said that, the little design changes for 2009/2010 are actually making a visual difference for me.

Long story short: 911...

-T

DLJ

Haven't driven the Cayman, but have driven Boxsters. They are a lot of fun, but having owned a 911, I just think it has the "right" look and true to the marque experience. Back seats are a bonus too. 997S it is for me!

Jim 'n' SC

The Cayman has no sunroof!!! Like the look of the 911 much better.

MUSSBERGER

what about a Cayman Targa

buckwheat987

Great question and here's why.

Almost everyone says get an "S" over a base 911 when the question is asked. Why? Because of performance.

Now give the same power in the cayman as the 911 and its going to beat a 911 on the street and especially on a track. If were performance orientated drviers trying to max the fun of driving excitemnt the choice should be easy.

But my guess here is that most people as pointed out already will pick the 911. And they will state looks or the back seat (your going to go 130 on the track with someone in the back?).


What it really comes down to alot of posters is prestige and sense of accomplishment.

For many owning a 911 says you made it. Owning a cayman says your almost there.

Fahrer

For me it is not a status thing. I simply wanted the 911 for many, many years. If Porsche was serious about a replacement for the 911, I am sure it would be a mid-engined car and even more expensive. But, they do need to be careful about the brand. I am sure they would like to sell many more Boxsters but the 911 is the icon and represents the tradition that "brings them into the showrooms".

Look what happened to Saab. The cars were, at one time, distinct. Now they are based on the same Opel platform shared by Chevy, Saturn and other GM models. The Saab has now become more mainstream and invisible.

sssinc

I definitely appreciate the extra seats/room in the 911. Love the way the Cayman drives, mid-engine handling and feel is fantastic but for me that is not what a Porsche is about. THe 911 is the only rear engine car out there and it performs, handles and feels like no other vehicle. I'd stick with the 911 for the unique feeling alone!

2009 911S

rodsky

I love the Cayman / Boxster. But just voted with my wallet - 2009 C2S (my fourth 911):

I'd buy a boxster before a Cayman - to go with my 911 Coupe. Best of both worlds - sporty convertible and rear engine coupe. Seriously thinking about it.

Dang it - why doesnt my list have bullet points - oh well - no time to figure it out..

FI Flyer

Actually, the Cayman has as much or more headroom (no sunroof) but it has less legroom.

equiraptor

Nope. I don't care about laying down the absolute best possible time on the track. If I cared about that, I'd have a Caterham or something like that. All modern Porsches are too heavy to lay down an ultimate track time.

But playing with the rear-engined weight balance is a joy few other cars can offer. That's what draws me to the 911.

mdrums

LOL...ya really think so?

Nugget

I don't think this is a valid observation. When I bought my C2S in '07 the conventional wisdom was to buy the S over the base Carrera but it wasn't really about performance. The fact was that if you wanted just a few options like PASM and the Xenon lights added to your base Carrera you'd pretty much pay the same price as the S where those options were standard. The extra performance basically was a free bonus if the standard S options aligned well with your preferences. Sure, performance was a factor, but just one of many.

I also notice that the chanted mantra of "get the S" has really declined in the 997.2 world where the configuration of the two different trim levels doesn't create such an obvious and compelling value equation. From what I've seen on the forums, the "S" isn't the clear choice for a 997.2 and the "Just bought my new 911" threads on the forums seem to bear that out. We see a lot more base 997.2s sold than I remember seeing in '05-'07.

Saying that people get the S strictly because of performance is a flawed premise.

Buyers have always had this option via tuner shops like Ruf who will happily stuff a Carrera S engine into the middle of a Cayman and warrant their work just as strongly as PCNA. The price works out to be about the same as a well-equipped Carrera S. I pondered this option myself when I was buying back in '07.

I think what it really comes down to is that the 911 and the Cayman/Boxster are truly different cars with very different handling. They do overlap -- and sure some people "settle" for the less expensive car when they really want the more expensive car -- but there's no wrong decision to be made.

Tongue in cheek:

Some people prefer the surgical and precise handling of the Cayman and don't like the deprecated, archaic, tail-heavy 911.

Some people prefer the nuanced, organic dance you do in a 911 and don't care for the sterile and numbing point-and accelerate Cayman experience.

Thankfully Porsche sells both.

SARGEPUG

hands down 911, it's not just the power that draws one to a 911 over other models.

swajames

Great post, Nugget. I think you make some good points.

buckwheat987

Now where did I mention absolute best track time or car. I only compared the two in questions.

I do agree with the posters that say driving the rear end car is a great joy. And since I own both I have plenty of first hand experience.

But if power is the same for each, as asked here....you can make an argument for the cayman. Based on what your driving priorites are. And if performance is key than the cayman is the choice.